The first thing you need to do is decide what kind of world you want to build. There are many different types of dystopian settings like post-apocalyptic, futuristic, cyberpunk and others. The type of setting you choose will determine how your characters live their lives, what they wear, eat, drink, etc. So it’s important that you know exactly what you want before you start designing the world.
You can use any number of sources for inspiration. I used this one when I wrote my own dystopia novel. It was actually pretty helpful. You could also look at other books, movies or TV shows set in these worlds. They all have something interesting about them, so take note! Inspiration is the fuel of creation.
Your world should be believable. If you’re going to make up a whole new world, then you’ll probably have to spend some time making sure that everything works out as well.
Set the Scene
Once you’ve decided on the type of world you want to write, you need to decide where you want to place it. Obviously, if your world is in space, then you’d have to figure out how gravity works. But even if the world isn’t in outer space, there are still things you need to consider. For example, if you want to set your story in an urban environment, you might have to think about traffic patterns, crime rates, pollution levels and more.
If you’re writing a fantasy world, you might not have to worry too much about all of those things. However, if you’re building a science fiction world, you’ll definitely need to pay attention to details.
Choose a Time Period
This is another big decision. You need to pick a point in history, and stick with it. This means that you won’t be able to change anything about the world unless you go back in time. And by “anything”, I mean just about everything. Even though you might be tempted to add in a few extra gadgets or technology, you really don’t want to mess around with history.
So once you’ve chosen a specific period, you need to work backwards from there. Once you’ve got that figured out, you can start thinking about the people who lived during that time. What would life be like? Who were the leaders? How did they rule? What were the main religions?
Types of dystopian societies
Now that we’ve covered the basics of creating a realistic dystopian society, let’s talk about the various types of dystopias. Each has its own unique characteristics, which makes each one very distinct.
Post-Apocalyptic Dystopia
A post-apocalyptic society is one that has been destroyed by disaster. Whether it’s war, natural disasters or manmade ones, you’ll find yourself facing a lot of challenges after the apocalypse hits.
Futuristic Dystopia
Just because you didn’t get wiped off the face of the earth doesn’t mean that you’re safe. In fact, it might be worse than ever. Technology has advanced over the years, but now it’s threatening to destroy us all.
Cyberpunk Dystopia
In our modern world, we often forget that computers aren’t magic. Computers are just tools, and they can be used for good or evil. A cyberpunk dystopian world is one where technology runs rampant, and everyone is enslaved by it.
Explain the Rules
The rules of a dystopian world are important. After all, without them, your world wouldn’t feel real. So if you want to build a convincing dystopia, you need to explain the rules that govern your world.
For example, if you’re writing a futuristic sci fi book, you’ll need to come up with a way for humans to keep themselves alive. If you’re writing a post apocalyptic story, you’ll need to think about how people survive.
You may also want to include laws. Some stories will require that people obey certain laws, while others will allow complete freedom. Of course, you can’t have both. Either the law exists or it doesn’t.
You can bend the rules too. You can always weld your dystopian world into the realm of science fiction and use world rules that would otherwise break natural law.
Developing characters in a dystopian world
Characters in a dystopian world are going to be pretty different from those in other settings. For starters, they’ll probably live in extreme poverty. They’ll be forced to scavenge for food. And they’ll have no choice but to follow strict government regulations.
These factors alone make it hard to write believable characters. But what else do you need to know? Let’s take a look at some of the most common traits of these characters:
Low Intelligence Level
Dystopian worlds tend to be low on intelligence. The reason why is simple. People living under such conditions have little motivation to learn new things. Instead, they focus their energy on survival.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It gives you an excuse to make sure that your characters don’t understand anything that happens around them.
It also means that they won’t be able to contribute much to the story. They’re not smart enough to realize what’s happening around them.
So instead of trying to teach them, you should try to show them through actions. Make sure that they notice the changes in their surroundings, even though they may fail to grasp the significance of it.
Limited Knowledge
Another trait of characters in dystopian worlds is limited knowledge. These people usually don’t know how to read, so books and magazines will be out of reach. Even if they did manage to read something, they’d never understand it anyway.
This makes it harder for them to form relationships with other characters. They can’t talk to other people, because they lack the vocabulary needed to communicate effectively.
In order to overcome this problem, you can either give them a device like a computer tablet or a radio. Or you could simply limit the amount of information they encounter.
Strict Government Regulation
A lot of dystopian worlds are controlled by governments. That means that they’re ruled by laws, rather than by individuals.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with following the law. However, when you’re writing a dystopian novel, you need to remember that people living in such a society have very few choices.
They can’t leave their homes unless they receive permission. They can’t go anywhere unless they get a permit. They can’t speak freely unless they pass a test. In short, they’re completely restricted.
As a result, they’ll become extremely obedient. If someone tells them to do something, they’ll just do it without question.
To keep this in mind, you should make sure that your characters aren’t as free as they seem to be. Don’t let them wander about wherever they please. Keep them confined within the boundaries of the city.
And if you decide to add futuristic technology to your story, make sure that it has been regulated by the government. Otherwise, it might end up being used against the citizens.
Lack of Freedom
One of the biggest differences between dystopian novels and those set in other genres is freedom. Dystopian novels tend to be more restrictive than others.
That doesn’t mean that they restrict everyone’s movements. On the contrary, they allow certain freedoms. For example, they allow people to travel outside the city limits. And they don’t interfere with the personal lives of their citizens.
However, there are still restrictions. For instance, they make sure that no one leaves the city except for special occasions. And they strictly regulate who gets access to certain resources.
If you want to include a character that represents this type of freedom, you need to ensure that he or she knows the rules. After all, if they don’t know what’s allowed, then they won’t be able break any rules.
Social Class
One of the main reasons that dystopian societies exist is social class. People from different classes live together, but they rarely interact.
The rich live in luxurious mansions while the poor dwell in squalid hovels. The middle-class fall somewhere in the middle. Because these groups are kept apart, they fail to develop an understanding of each other.
To overcome this problem, you need to make sure that you give your characters some common ground. This way, they can begin to recognize similarities between themselves and others.
You can achieve this by making sure that the lower classes are forced into manual labor. You can also introduce them to members of the upper class. But whatever you do, make sure that they’re not treated as equals.
For example, you can force them to work under harsh conditions until they learn how to survive. Or you can make them slaves.
In either case, they’ve lost their freedom. And because of this, they can’t help but respect those who control them.
Blind Belief
Some dystopian societies are built on religious belief, and the character may start the story as just another religious zealot. Characters may blindly believe in the government or otherwise the overall dictator.
Stories like this usually have the character thrust into an event or situation where their beliefs are challenged and it’s up to the character to figure out his pathway in life.
Dystopian story clichés and when to avoid them
As I mentioned earlier, dystopian stories follow similar patterns. That means that you’re likely to run into a few clichés when writing a novel based on this genre.
Here are the most common ones:
1. The hero must undergo a transformation before becoming a leader
Characters in dystopian fiction often go through a series of trials and tribulations before achieving their goal. They’re almost always at odds with someone else.
They fight with a group of rebels. They battle corrupt officials. They even face opposition from within their own ranks.
But despite everything, they eventually become leaders.
This pattern is so popular that it’s actually a cliché. So if you use it, make sure that you explain why your character was driven to take action.
2. The protagonist has to find something important
A lot of dystopian novels revolve around a character trying to save the world. He’ll try to stop a war. He’ll try to prevent a crisis. He’ll try to change things for the better.
He’ll search for answers. He’ll uncover secrets. He’ll find the truth.
This is a classic plot device. It allows you to explore the kind of questions that people ask when faced with difficult situations.
However, if you use this pattern too much, then your readers will grow tired of it. So if you really want to write a good dystopian novel, make sure that you vary your approach.
3. There’s a big mystery at the center of the story
Dystopian fiction is all about mysteries. You find yourself wondering what happened to the protagonists’ families. Why did they lose their jobs? Why were they banished? What caused the society to crumble?
These are questions that keep your reader guessing. If you don’t answer them, then you won’t be able to hold the reader’s interest.
4. A strong female character plays a major role in the story
There’s no doubt that women play a huge part in dystopian fiction. In fact, many of the best books feature strong female protagonists.
The Hunger Games trilogy, Divergent, The Girl With All the Gifts, and The Handmaid’s Tale are just a few examples.
It’s not uncommon for the main character to be a woman. But there’s no reason to limit her to being a single girl. She could also be a man. Or she could be a young child.
5. The protagonist fights against oppression
The majority of dystopian novels involve characters fighting against oppression. Whether it’s a totalitarian regime or a military dictatorship, these stories tend to focus on how the protagonist tries to free himself or herself from the evil rule.
6. The ending isn’t happy
If you want to show that life isn’t fair for everyone, then you have to show that it’s unfair for your main character as well.
In other words, you should make the story end very differently than you expected.
You should see the protagonist die. You should watch him fall apart. You should see him fail.
And you should never expect your protagonist
Go for the Big Picture
To achieve success, you need to plan out your whole project. This means thinking about every aspect of it. From the beginning to the end.
From the structure to the style.
So let’s talk about the structure first. As we’ve seen, most dystopian novels follow a similar formula.
1. Introduction: The protagonist finds out about some terrible event that’s going to happen.
2. Complication: Something happens to the protagonist.
3. Resolution: The protagonist takes action to solve his problem.
4. Epilogue: Everything turns out okay in the end.
That’s pretty much it. And it’s easy enough to do.
All you have to do is start writing. Then you can fill in the details later.
The big picture is an unwritten, almost feeling, that is permeating your story from end to end. You might also call this your “message” of the novel. This is why it’s incredibly important to establish and then follow the rules you made for your dystopian world. Without this, there is no consistency, and your message gets lost in disbelief.
